Artisans Road Trip

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Wheatsfield Co-op, the artist's local food co-op in Ames, Iowa, has a nice Community
outreach program and, among other things, invites local artists to
exhibit their work. Acceptance is by a jury process and then the artist's exhibit month is assigned. Penny was pleased to find she is September's
featured artist!

First Friday Wine, Cheese, and Art

Friday, September 1 4:00pm - 6:00pm

Art: Penny Adam, Photography

The following artist's statement sums up Adam's thoughts on her medium.

I love
photography!

This is a versatile and expressive art form
where the outcome can be simply straight forward or detailed and complex,
realistic or amazingly abstract.
Photography satisfies a creative yearning and is portable allowing easy
access to many locations and settings.
The images selected for this exhibit range from landscape to macro,
abstract, and street photography.

2017 Artisans Road Trip Artist Danielle Clouse Gast was named a Finalist in the sixth annual “Celebration of Iowa: Agriculture Art Exhibition” contest at the Iowa State Fair.The Agriculture Art Exhibit is sponsored by the Iowa Department of
Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Iowa Department of Cultural
Affairs and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and it recognizes Iowa artists
and Iowa's role as a global leader in agriculture. The exhibit is
coordinated by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department
of Cultural Affairs.“Our state’s natural beauty, the farmers that care for the land, our
crops and our animals have long been an inspiration for talented artists
to create wonderful artwork," Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill
Northey said. "This tradition continues with the outstanding pieces that
are part of this exhibit. I congratulate all this year’s artists for
the extraordinary work and encourage Iowans to visit the exhibition and
view these pieces."“Iowa artists have a long history of honoring the beauty and
diversity of Iowa's rural landscapes and agriculture in their works,"
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Mary Cownie said. "Their
talent continues with this year's exhibit, and we thank the Iowa
Department of Agriculture and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation for
partnering with us to showcase Iowa artists of all ages."“Agriculture is more diverse than ever and is a part of our lives in
Iowa, even beyond food, fuel and fiber," Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
President Craig Hill said. "We are encouraged to see how these talented
artists are able to show that success, while celebrating the dedication
of the men and women who helped us reach that success, through hard
work, integrity and compassion.”The entries were judged on innovation, relevance to the contest
theme, and overall aesthetic and technical quality. Participants had to
be Iowa residents working in 2D media. The winning entries were judged
by officials from the three sponsoring organizations.The finalists’ original artwork is on display through Oct. 30 at Café Barattas in the State Historical Museum of Iowa, 600 E. Locust Street in Des Moines.

Friday, August 18, 2017

The Pearson Lakes Art Center has opened it's 2017 "Plein Air Painting Exhibition", with the opening reception taking place last night on August 17th.

Two of the artists from the 2017 Artisans Road Trip were awarded recognition during the opening reception! Bruce Morrison was given the "PA Brown Best in Show" award for his plein air oil painting "Lone Bale First Light", while another Morrison oil painting "Wooded Lane No.1" was given one of the 3 "Judge's Choice Awards".

Plein air painting is a traditional practice of painting in the field on location - there was a great diversity of artwork and subject matter represented by this year's exhibit - be sure and take in the show if you're up in the region!

The Plein Air Painting Exhibition will stay on display through September 16th - contact The Pearson Lakes Art Center at 712 332-7013 (email - visual@lakesart.org) for more information!

Monday, August 7, 2017

"Conversations with My Watercolor Box", an exhibit by Glenda Drennen is now showing at the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake, IA.

A native from South Dakota, Glenda Drennen was a former public school music teacher. She then began to paint with Watercolor after leaving her teaching career; through her found passion, she has been awarded many memberships like the Iowa Watercolor Society, Watercolor Honor Society, and Iowa Artist. A number of her award winning paintings have been exhibited in corporate and private collections across the States and abroad. Drennen’s Studio - Watermark Studio, is located in LeMars, IA.

Glenda's work is both colorful and whimsical. Her work is very dreamlike and attractive to the eye. Drennen uses her wonderful imagination of storytelling to create her paintings, being inspired from a variety of stories and events in her life.

The exhibit will be showing through August 26th - be sure and not miss this wonderful showing! For more information contact the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake at 712 732-3400. The Witter Gallery is located at 609 Cayuga Street in Storm Lake, IA.

Artists of the 2017 Artisans Road Trip will be having an exhibit at the Red Rock Center for the Arts from August 1 through the 31!

The Artisans Road Trip has exhibits at galleries, art centers and art museums throughout the year; this showing at the Red Rock Center for the Arts is the second since their first successful exhibition last year. These exhibits are a great way to see a sampling of what the artists from A.R.T. are up to, and this year's exhibit is no exception!

Take in the exhibit's opening artist reception this coming Thursday, August 3rd from 5:30 - 7:00 pm - meet some of the artists from this year's event - the public is welcome!

Thank you for visiting - be sure and check back again soon for more news from the 2017 Artisans Road Trip!

The Lost Island Prairie Wetland Nature Center gives the public an appreciation and basic understanding of the wetlands and
offers opportunities to enjoy the beauty of these natural treasures. One of the goals of the Lost Island Prairie Wetland Nature Center is to give
to give visitors the information and skills needed to make wise
decisions regarding our natural resources, to become better stewards of
the land and to make an impression that will last a lifetime.

Catch the showing of select artwork of Bruce Morrison on display July through the end of August - and take in the beauty of our wetlands and prairies while you're at it! A win -win!

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Artist Penny Adam talks about her image in the exhibit; "It is exciting to be a part of this juried show "Iowa Exhibited XXXII" at the Polk County Heritage Gallery in Des Moines, IA! It was a cold February day when this image 'Three Pears' was made. Looking for something red to photograph in honor of Valentine's Day; these pears fit the concept."

"Iowa Exhibited XXXII" is the Polk Heritage Gallery's 32nd edition of their juried show - this one features 43 artists from around Iowa. The Artists Reception and Opening is today - July 13 starting at 5pm. The exhibit runs through August 25th. You can find more information at the gallery's web site here - http://www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org/

Thank you for visiting - check back for more on the artists of the 2017 Artisans Road Trip!

2016 ART logo

About the Artisans Road Trip!

Professional artists will welcome guests into their studios to discover and purchase quality original works during the fourteenrh annual Artisans Road Trip (A.R.T.) on Saturday and Sunday, October 14 through 15, 2017. The free tour will includes many Northwest Iowa Artists representing several counties.

A.R.T. invites you to travel Iowa’s scenic byways and back roads looking for one-of-a-kind art treasures. Artisans will offer a rare glimpse into creative processes as they demonstrate their craft in personal and unique work spaces.